“The bad news is there will be a next pandemic ... as surely as the sun comes up,” said Dr. Dick Gingery of Montrose County Health and Human Services.
Representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment were in Montrose Thursday to discuss an inevitable pandemic flu situation and how the government can assist to make the event “less” detrimental to communities.
 Dr. Dick Gingery, standing background, of Montrose County Health and Human Services, explains the seriousness of a pandemic flu to community members during an event at the Montrose Regional Library Thursday afternoon. Representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment made Montrose their first stop in a statewide tour to bring awareness and gather feedback on preparing for a pandemic situation. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
The last pandemic flu in the United States was the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed 500,000 Americans, according to Gingery. In the event of another pandemic, the tools are basically the same — isolation and quarantine. However, the situation is slightly different, as populations have grown and travel is easier and faster. So, being prepared is still the best measure to deal with such a situation, he explained.
CDLE Maryann Motza stressed the importance of setting up a business preparedness plan. She said many larger businesses have a plan in place and the resources to integrate it. It is the smaller businesses that her department is worried about.
“How do we keep them in business?” she asked.
The effects on businesses during a pandemic could be detrimental. Gingery explained that pandemic flu differs from the seasonal flu in several ways. There would be a higher death toll of young adults in their 20s and 30s; fatality could occur within 24 hours of the onset of the disease; 30 percent of the population could become sick, resulting in a death rate of about 5 percent; and half the workforce would be affected, either because they are sick, have to care for someone sick, or are worried about being exposed to the illness.
To prepare for a massive dent in the workforce population, Motza and her co-worker, Dean Conder, are traveling the state to see what needs to be done. They will report back to the state in several months on their findings.
Conder explained some current labor laws in place to community members from several entities, such as the police department and the Montrose County School District.
He also noted some possible changes to those laws to accommodate the special situation a pandemic would create.
One of those possible changes would be the liability of employers (making them immune for the spread of the virus) so they don’t have to worry about being sued.
Noelle Hagan, former city council member and current candidate for Colo. House District 58, said she wondered if there could be some sort of “blanket” so that businesses wouldn’t have to worry about being sued in the incident if they were trying to provide a helpful service, such as a daycare center for their employees.
Motza said expanding or strengthening the Good Samaritan law might be a good idea in the case of a pandemic.
It is this kind of feedback the department is looking for. It encourages people to send their ideas via e-mail. For more information on pandemics and being prepared, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/pandemic.html. For information on preparing your business, visit www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/Public/businesspanready.pdf
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
billrights wrote on May 21, 2008 3:25 PM:
CAN I JUST HAVE THE CONTRACT FOR THE APPROVED DISPENSERS AND MEDICATIONS? "
mysticeye wrote on May 16, 2008 9:04 AM: